1861 50C Scott Restrike MS63 PCGS. Few Civil War relics
exist that are as numismatically significant as the "Scott
Restrike" Confederate half dollars. Of course one could argue that
these pieces were not produced during the Civil War, but actually
circa 1879 by J.W. Scott and Company in New York City. Considering
that they were struck with the actual Confederate reverse die
approximately 18 years after the four original Confederate halves
were produced at the New Orleans Mint does, however, provide a
tangible link to one of the most tumultuous times in our nation's
history. It must also be noted that although the Civil War ended in
1865, its aftereffects lingered for many years. In fact, the coin
offered here was struck just two years after the end of the
Reconstruction period.
The survival rate of the Scott Restrike half dollars is not
definitively known, although one could ascertain from the NGC
Census Report and PCGS Population Report that less
than half of the original 500 pieces struck have survived to this
day. While the survivors are not rare in the technical sense, the
ubiquitous appeal of this issue accounts for its limited auction
appearances, where bidding competition is always fierce. Listed on
page 379 of the 2008 Guide Book. Population: 9 in 63, 4
finer (11/07).From The Madison Collection. (PCGS# 340402)